GIANTS AFL Women’s star Maddy Collier has been awarded the prestigious 2017 Jill Lindsay Scholarship at the AFL Women’s Industry Lunch in Melbourne today.
The Jill Lindsay Scholarship is awarded to a female graduate of the AFL SportsReady Traineeship Program, who has aspirations and future potential to progress within the industry.
Collier, who was named in the GIANTS’ leadership group for the club’s inaugural AFLW season at just 21 years old, has previously worked at AFL NSW/ACT and is currently a listed GIANTS AFLW player, working at the club part time.
“It’s an incredible honour to receive this scholarship, particularly one named after such an important role model and contributor to our industry,” Collier said.
“When I was growing up in a regional area of NSW, and a Rugby League heartland, there was no opportunity at all for girls and women to play AFL.
“I started playing AFL at 15 and within the first quarter I realised that the game was my passion.
“Towards the end of year 12, knowing that AFL was my passion but with not a clue as to how I could make a career out of it, I applied for a role as a trainee development officer with AFL Sydney through SportsReady.
“The administrative and development officer training and qualifications I attained through my SportsReady traineeship are valuable and used on a daily basis, however it is the confidence - not just in an office environment, but in myself - that I built throughout my traineeship that I cannot put a value on.
“My passion to take this opportunity to be a history maker as part of the AFL Women’s competition drives me to be the best that I can possibly be and I embrace the fact that young girls from Auskick age to grown women now look to myself and other AFLW players as role models.”
Collier was awarded $20,000 to assist further education and a laptop computer. In addition, Andi Pert, an HR consultant and executive coach, will mentor her for 12 months.
The scholarship is named after Jill Lindsay, who was the AFL’s longest serving employee having completed 41 years at the AFL in various roles.
Ms Lindsay’s roles included VFL Park match-day manager and VFL membership manager before being appointed grounds operations manager in 1991. Jill passed away after losing her battle with cancer in 2011.
Ms Lindsay was one of the game’s great pioneers; the first female to become an AFL Life Member and was born locally in Ryde, graduating from Marsden High School in Western Sydney.
To be eligible for the Jill Lindsay Scholarship, nominees must be working in the AFL industry and have previously completed an AFL SportsReady Traineeship.
GIANTS General Manager of People and Culture, Jody Masina, congratulated Collier on her award.
“Being prepared to try something different and to experience Australian Football when living in a Rugby League heartland is inspirational enough,” Ms Masina said.
“But to then be able to pursue a pathway into representative teams and then into the GIANTS’ AFLW team shows the true spirit and inner determination of Maddy.
“Investing in Maddy is investing in female football across New South Wales. Her passion and capability for not just the actual game but the craft of coaching, community development and the broader AFL industry as an operating business is the talent and succession progression for the future.”
Collier said she will use the grant to conduct female football clinics in regional and remote areas of the state as well as achieve further qualifications including her Level 2 Coaching Accreditation and a Certificate 4 in Coaching, followed by a Diploma in Sport Development.
